Apparatuses are known which are adapted to feed a nonwoven fabric containing a thermoplastic synthetic resin or a film formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin in the form of a web in a machine direction and to subject the web to ultrasonic processing in the course of running.
For example, an ultrasonic apparatus disclosed in the Patent Literature 1 includes an ultrasonic horn applied with ultrasonic oscillation and a hold-down roller cooperating with the ultrasonic horn. The ultrasonic horn rotates around its rotation axis perpendicular to a sheet-like material to be processed and the hold-down roller rotates around its rotation axis extending in parallel to the sheet-like material to be processed so that the material may be subjected to the ultrasonic processing and continuously welded.
A rotary seal system disclosed in the Patent Literature 2 includes a drum rotating in a direction in which the material to be processed in the form of a web runs, a first thermal energy application device attached to a peripheral surface of the drum so as to extend in a direction crossing with the rotational direction of the drum and a second thermal energy application device movably attached to the drum so as to move in a direction crossing with the rotational direction while the second thermal energy application device rotates together with the drum. The material to be processed is disposed between the first thermal energy application device and the second thermal energy application device. During rotation of the drum, the second thermal energy application device cooperates with the first thermal energy application device while the second thermal energy application device moves in the cross direction to apply the material to be processed with thermal energy and, upon completion of the thermal energy application, the second thermal energy application device moves away from the first thermal energy application device to its initial position. One of the first and second thermal energy application devices is a horn applied with ultrasonic oscillation and the other is an anvil.